Advancing prevention science: application of social marketing to change the drinking culture of young Australians. This project will provide a comprehensive cluster randomised control trial of an innovative social marketing education intervention, which focuses on moderating adolescent attitudes and intentions to drink alcohol.
ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions. Despite facing the sixth global mass extinction of species, most conservation management is unevaluated and inefficient. The ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions will provide international research leadership in tackling the complex problems of environmental management and monitoring in an uncertain world. Working through six Australian universities and six international organisations, the Centre will forge new approaches and ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions. Despite facing the sixth global mass extinction of species, most conservation management is unevaluated and inefficient. The ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions will provide international research leadership in tackling the complex problems of environmental management and monitoring in an uncertain world. Working through six Australian universities and six international organisations, the Centre will forge new approaches and tools from ecology, mathematics, statistics, economics and the social sciences. It will lead the world in developing and delivering predictive models and decision-making approaches to improve outcomes in conservation.Read moreRead less
Evolutionary Design for Ore Processing Plants. This project will investigate the use of evolutionary algorithms (EAs) in the design of ore processing plants. Ore processing is a major activity in the Australian mining industry, and a significant source of export dollars. Prior work has demonstrated that EAs can out-perform previous manual and automated design techniques for individual processing units. This project will apply EAs to the design of whole flowsheets containing arbitrary combination ....Evolutionary Design for Ore Processing Plants. This project will investigate the use of evolutionary algorithms (EAs) in the design of ore processing plants. Ore processing is a major activity in the Australian mining industry, and a significant source of export dollars. Prior work has demonstrated that EAs can out-perform previous manual and automated design techniques for individual processing units. This project will apply EAs to the design of whole flowsheets containing arbitrary combinations of different types of units. The complexity of typical flowsheet layouts will require new algorithms to discover improved designs in practical time, so parallel hardware, and new parallel EAs, will be utilised.
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Cascading effects of Australia's ecological extinctions on biodiversity and ecosystem function. The current rate of species extinctions is so extensive that it has been described as the “sixth mass extinction”. In Australian ecosystems, extinctions and declines of mammals have been dramatic, with formerly abundant species now “ecologically extinct”, meaning they are too rare to continue to play important ecological roles. The loss of entire functional guilds may have cascading effects on biodive ....Cascading effects of Australia's ecological extinctions on biodiversity and ecosystem function. The current rate of species extinctions is so extensive that it has been described as the “sixth mass extinction”. In Australian ecosystems, extinctions and declines of mammals have been dramatic, with formerly abundant species now “ecologically extinct”, meaning they are too rare to continue to play important ecological roles. The loss of entire functional guilds may have cascading effects on biodiversity and ecosystem function. This project uses a multi-scalar experimental approach to investigate the broader impacts of mammal declines on Australian ecosystems, accounting for interactions with climate. The outcomes will include new insights into the pre-European state of Australian ecosystems and more realistic targets for ecosystem restoration.Read moreRead less
Assessment of past biodiversity through DNA preserved in bulk bone. This project aims to make a unique study of fossils to determine how the composition and biodiversity of ecosystems have changed in response to anthropogenic influences. Fossil bones provide a window through which to study past environments and how they have changed, and the stories these fossils tell can be further enhanced by ancient DNA analyses. This project plans to use bulk bone metabarcoding where hundreds of low-value (f ....Assessment of past biodiversity through DNA preserved in bulk bone. This project aims to make a unique study of fossils to determine how the composition and biodiversity of ecosystems have changed in response to anthropogenic influences. Fossil bones provide a window through which to study past environments and how they have changed, and the stories these fossils tell can be further enhanced by ancient DNA analyses. This project plans to use bulk bone metabarcoding where hundreds of low-value (fragmented) bones are collectively ground together to provide a cost-effective genetic audit of fossil assemblages. Working on bone from across Oceania and south-east Asia, this project aims to provide a historical perspective on biodiversity. Understanding former ecosystem composition and extinction may facilitate effective restoration and conservation initiatives.Read moreRead less
Ecology, impact and control of cane toads on the southern invasion front. The invasion of cane toads has killed many native animals in tropical Australia, but the toads’ southern (NSW) invasion front remains unstudied. This project will build on recent research to understand how toads affect southern biodiversity, and will develop new ways to reduce that impact.
Testing new theoretical models of sperm allocation: does competition for mates compromise male fertility? In order to reproduce, males must invest resources into competing for females at a cost to their investment in fertility. The project will develop and test new evolutionary theory that explores how male reproductive biology evolves in the face of this unappreciated constraint, research that will provide general insight into male fertility and infertility.
Airborne spatial tracking to save endangered species. Airborne spatial tracking to save endangered species. This project aims to develop an automated and distributed spatial tracking approach using low cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to locate and study endangered wildlife. Understanding animal behaviour and habits with granular spatial data is essential to develop effective monitoring and conservation strategies. Spatial tracking of radio collared wildlife using radio telemetry is a critic ....Airborne spatial tracking to save endangered species. Airborne spatial tracking to save endangered species. This project aims to develop an automated and distributed spatial tracking approach using low cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to locate and study endangered wildlife. Understanding animal behaviour and habits with granular spatial data is essential to develop effective monitoring and conservation strategies. Spatial tracking of radio collared wildlife using radio telemetry is a critical but costly tool for acquiring this data. This project anticipates that airborne spatial tracking using intelligent spatial tracking algorithms on board low cost UAV teams will allow more precise understanding of wildlife for evidence-based conservation and management in a changing global climate.Read moreRead less
Preventing and reversing population declines of northern quolls. This project seeks to develop novel effective strategies to halt and reverse declines in northern quolls by improving their ‘toad-smart’ behaviour. The spread of cane toads threaten northern quolls, which are marsupial predators. We cannot halt the toad invasion, but we can train quolls not to eat cane toads. Trained quolls can survive long term in toad-infested landscapes, and their offspring can learn not to eat toads. This proje ....Preventing and reversing population declines of northern quolls. This project seeks to develop novel effective strategies to halt and reverse declines in northern quolls by improving their ‘toad-smart’ behaviour. The spread of cane toads threaten northern quolls, which are marsupial predators. We cannot halt the toad invasion, but we can train quolls not to eat cane toads. Trained quolls can survive long term in toad-infested landscapes, and their offspring can learn not to eat toads. This project builds on this work by focusing on cultural and genetic transmission of toad-smart behaviour. The project could save numerous quoll populations from extinction.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100635
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,058.00
Summary
Demographic distribution models for ecology, conservation & public health. This project aims to advance distribution modelling by developing a new demographic species distribution modelling (DSDM) framework that unites correlative and process-based approaches. This project will develop ecologically realistic models of the distributions of species and diseases, leading to better decision-making in conservation and public health. This will provide significant benefits, such as a better understandi ....Demographic distribution models for ecology, conservation & public health. This project aims to advance distribution modelling by developing a new demographic species distribution modelling (DSDM) framework that unites correlative and process-based approaches. This project will develop ecologically realistic models of the distributions of species and diseases, leading to better decision-making in conservation and public health. This will provide significant benefits, such as a better understanding of where and how to control mosquitoes to reduce malaria transmission in Africa, how best to conserve the vulnerable greater glider in Eastern Australia, and to forecast where and when outbreaks of Ross River virus are likely occur in Victoria.Read moreRead less